Chapter 46: The Master Arrives

Chen Kun's smile was sinister, his face brimming with ill intent.

"Hehe, weaklings!"

Li Xiaobai gave the middle finger again, showing his disdain.

Through the contact just now, he had realized, the Nine Transformation Golden Body must correspond to the nine layers of the Nascent Soul Stage.

Although there were a number of Divinity Transformation Stage experts mixed in with these big shots, he felt confident that his all-in defensive power should allow him to contend.

His Nine Transformation Golden Body was at the fourth stage, equivalent to the fourth layer of the Nascent Soul Stage, but since he had allocated all points to defense, his defensive power should be significantly higher than that of a cultivator at the fourth layer of the Nascent Soul Stage.

Moreover, given his identity as the Morphing Dragon-Serpent Fruit, these people would not want to kill him unless it was absolutely necessary.

He could afford to be bold and act recklessly!

"Come hit me then," Li Xiaobai taunted, hooking his finger at the crowd with a light tone.

"Don't stop me, this guy is challenging me. I want to duel him, and no one else is allowed to interfere!"

Chen Kun's face twisted fiercely; he flicked both palms and suddenly charged towards Li Xiaobai.

"Hehe, the old fogey is still as good at acting as ever!" Elder Feng executed several palm strikes in the void, knocking Chen Kun back down.

"What do you mean by this?"

Chen Kun's face darkened, his expression filled with rage.

"Stop pretending; do we not know who you are? You didn't even get angry when your son was killed."

"Your acting is quite good; you want to use a duel as an excuse to monopolize all the Dragon Serpent Fruits, don't you? Dream on!" Elder Feng said dismissively, curling his lip.

At these words, Chen Kun's expression suddenly became calm, even revealing a faint smile.

"I have never had the intention of hogging it all. I just want to detain the Morphing Fruit first. As for the rest, let's plan it out patiently," he said.

"The Dragon Snake Fruits will be distributed as previously agreed. No one is to take more!"

"Correct, anyone who takes more will have their claws chopped off!"

"I'm entitled to two Dragon Serpent Fruits; that was agreed upon beforehand!"

"..."

Li Xiaobai was inwardly impressed by the ability of these powerful cultivators to change their tune in a second.

They were truly deserving of being cultivation experts, with on-point acting skills. Had Elder Feng not called it out, he wouldn't have been able to tell that Chen Kun's anger was feigned.

Their cunning was profound, all those who had risen to the Nascent Soul Stage and Divinity Transformation Stage were not to be underestimated.

Li Xiaobai decided to draw more hatred and increase his Attribute Points before making a getaway. With so many people on the opposite side and his Nine Transformation Golden Body only at the fourth stage, taking them head-on could lead to problems.

But at that moment, the sky churned with wind and clouds, and a dense murderous aura, visible to the naked eye, rolled in from afar.

A figure appeared.

Wearing a conical hat and clad in a straw cloak, he suddenly stood before everyone.

The strong wind buffeted, causing pain to Li Xiaobai's face.

[Attribute Points +100...]

Hisss!

Who was this new expert?

He seemed even more formidable than a Divinity Transformation Stage master, capable of hurting people with just a gust of wind. What kind of power was this?

Li Xiaobai felt apprehensive; Divinity Transformation Stage experts were already difficult enough to deal with. The straw-cloaked, conical-hat wearing stranger was clearly on another level compared to the Divinity Transformation Stage. It seemed like it was time to run.

"Who has tampered with my Formation?"

The straw-cloaked man's voice was hoarse as if he were talking to himself, yet he seemed to be asking a question.

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a shock in their hearts. The Formation was deliberately set by the straw-cloaked man—it was quite intriguing. It meant that the Dragon Snake Fruits in the mountains were actually someone's property.

The situation couldn't be clearer now. The original owner had noticed the breach in the Formation and had come to investigate.

"Elder," Li Xiaobai quickly accused, "it was that old lady who forcefully broke your Formation. She even wants to take away the Dragon Snake Fruit Tree inside! You must stop her."

Li Xiaobai took over the conversation, pointing at the old crone from Xiao Cheng Sect up ahead.

The old crone's face changed dramatically, since the strength of the newcomer was so high, far above her own, that she couldn't fathom his depth.

It was a big taboo to offend a senior expert unprovoked.

"Senior, don't listen to the nonsense of this Morphing Fruit, it has taken all the Dragon Serpent Fruits and also tricked us out of our Spirit Stones and Spiritual Medicine. I just want to get justice back!" the old crone pleaded.

"Morphing Fruit?" the straw-cloaked man seemed puzzled.

"It's this youngster, he is a Morphing Dragon-Serpent Fruit, doesn't the senior know?" the old crone cautiously asked.

"Hehe, despite your Divinity Transformation Stage cultivation level and your advanced age, it seems you've lived long enough to act like a fool. He's clearly a person, where do you see Morphing Fruit?"

"Moreover," continued the man, "the Dragon Snake Fruit Tree was planted by me. Don't I know what it looks like?"

"But just now…" whispered the old crone, her face filled with disbelief, wanting to say more.

"A bunch of incompetents, coveting the Dragon Serpent Fruit of this seat is ridiculous. If you were born under my tutelage, I would have sent you to the Western Paradise long ago."

The straw-cloaked man scoffed and went straight to the Formation to inspect it.

Upon hearing these words, the rest of the experts were even more furious and astonished. They had been deceived, duped by a mere human youth!

The straw-cloaked man couldn't possibly deceive them; there was no Morphing Fruit at all—it was all staged by this kid.

He had used some unknown method to move freely within the Formation, masquerading as a Morphing Dragon-Serpent Fruit and swindling their resources.

Once the crowd understood the key to the deception, their faces flushed with a mixture of anger and shame.

Half from rage, half from embarrassment.

They thought Li Xiaobai was not sharp-witted and aimed to deceive him, only to discover in the end that it was they themselves who had been duped.

Their gazes were nailed onto Li Xiaobai, wishing they could flay him a thousand times over.

"Good lad, indeed skilled enough to deceive us, but don't you think you can go back alive," Chen Kun said with a somber expression.

"Exactly, boy, you are doomed!"

"When I said your entire family would die, I meant it!"

"What's the point in talking so much? He even dared to dupe us of our Spirit Stones, let's do him in!"

The big shots clamored, enraged. Had it not been for the straw-cloaked man's presence, they would have already taken action.

Li Xiaobai swallowed nervously, realizing things had gone south; the Dragon Snake Fruit Tree actually had an owner, which he had never heard of before!

Damn it, he had been tricked by his sixth senior brother again!

While mentally cursing Liu Jinshui, his hands covertly reached for a Thousand Mile Transmission Talisman; ready to flee immediately if things went south.

This straw-cloaked man was mysterious and his cultivation level unfathomably deep; if he became angered, it was feared that even with the System it might be impossible to defend against him.

Not to mention the group of Nascent Soul Stage and Divinity Transformation Stage big shots eyeing him hungrily.

At this moment, the straw-cloaked man was continually probing within the Formation, seemingly searching for something.

After a careful moment of sensing, his expression greatly changed.

"This is the Yin-Yang Escapism Technique!"

"Who touched my fragments?"

"Who practiced Tai Chi Fist?"

The straw-cloaked man roared, his overwhelming aura released wildly, the murderous energy in the field once again churning.

The Metal Slaughter's Qi shrouding the Dragon Snake Fruit Tree shattered, and the Formation completely crumbled in an instant, startling everyone so much so that their hair stood on end.

Li Xiaobai felt a surge of realization, understanding that both the fruit and the fragments had been placed by the straw-cloaked man.

Yet, the latter hadn't mentioned the existence of the small broken dog, could it be that the dog had entered on its own?

"Senior, just now, only this youngster was moving freely within the Formation. This junior will help you capture him right away!"

"Good lad, you dared to touch a treasure belonging to a senior – today, I will definitely see you brought to justice!"

"As cultivators, we despise those who resort to thievery. Senior, do not be angered, I will help you retrieve your treasure!"

"Boy, prepare to meet your end!"